The present invention relates to a printer that is configured such that a tape cassette can be freely mounted and removed and that prints on a tape that is contained in the tape cassette.
A printer is known that, using a plurality of detecting switches, detects the type of a tape (the tape width, the form of printing, and the like) that is contained in a tape cassette that is mounted in a cassette mounting portion of the printer. Specifically, a cassette detection portion is provided in a portion of the bottom face of the tape cassette, with through holes being formed in the cassette detection portion in a pattern that corresponds to the type of tape. When the tape cassette is mounted in the cassette mounting portion, the detecting switches, which are constantly urged upward, are selectively depressed in accordance with the pattern of the through holes that are formed in the cassette detection portion. The printer detects the type of the tape in the tape cassette that is mounted in the cassette mounting portion based on the combination of the detecting switches that are depressed and not depressed.